Nadia on… the future of the high street

Last month, in the festive lead-up to Christmas, I had the pleasure of visiting some of our first-rate small businesses in Nottingham. I stopped by Five Leaves Bookshop, Miss Lou’s arts cafe and shop, Broadway Cinema and the Christmas market, which boasted a wide array of independent sellers. The vibrant atmosphere and bustling shops reminded me just how special our city is. We’re fortunate to have such fantastic businesses bringing life to our local area. Yet, I also know that these businesses are often navigating financial pressures and changing spending habits. I was sad to hear that Braderie, a vintage shop in Hockley, announced it will be closing in March this year. This comes on top of several other closures of beloved establishments in recent years – Annie’s Burger Shack, K Fines, and PRYZM, to name a few.

It’s no secret that, on top of the online retail boom, UK businesses of all sizes have faced mounting challenges in recent years: Brexit with its impact on supply chain disruptions, import costs, and delays at borders; the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with its reduced footfall, enforced social distancing measures, and prolonged periods of economic uncertainty. Just as some of these short-term problems improved, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine delivered another devastating blow, this time to energy bills that increased operating costs and pushed many to the brink, forcing some to even close permanently. I never imagined I’d see the closures of high street staples like Debenhams and Topshop.

In recent years, high streets up and down the country have lacked the resilience to withstand such shocks, a vulnerability exposed by this perfect storm. Consumers too have found themselves in the midst of a cost of living crisis, largely driven by increasing prices of goods and services. This has led to brick-and-mortar outlets further struggling with sales and closing, triggering the loss of in-person interaction vital to fostering a sense of community. It seems that without a much-needed intervention on this issue, not only do we risk losing more businesses, but also the unique vibrancy in our towns and cities – a major source of social cohesion.

It’s clear that in the short-term, we need a multi-pronged approach to save the high street, including increased government financial support for local councils, policies that address the cost of living crisis and a review of business rates to ease the burden on retailers. Yet in the long term, resilience requires a reimagining of their purpose. 

Our high-streets have long been propped up by an overreliance on consumerism, an uncomfortable truth which carries significant environmental and ethical costs. A radical rethinking of the high street involves creating spaces that don’t just sell products and services, but also offer free, enriching spaces for social interaction – parks, libraries, sports complexes, art galleries and community centres. In 2018, an expert review concluded that UK high streets must stop relying on retail and instead, they should be reinvigorated by focusing on alternatives to retail, including housing, leisure, entertainment education, arts and commercial office space. “Town centres need to be repopulated as community hubs,” Bill Grimsey, who the review is named after, told The Guardian at the time.

I’m pleased that Nottingham already offers excellent examples of how a diverse range of businesses as well as public spaces, from parks and libraries to arts centres, can foster such community engagement. The regeneration of Broad Marsh, for example, includes the Green Heart project, which provides a green public space with huge biodiversity benefits. Similarly, the transformation of Sneinton Market has become a space where local makers, food vendors, and artists thrive alongside community events. These spaces demonstrate the potential of thoughtful urban design that prioritises the local community’s needs. 

The trouble is that sustaining and building on this great work will be difficult without addressing the basics – the needs of independent businesses now. 

Firstly, it’s evident that we need more government funding to save struggling local councils, which have in-depth knowledge of their local economies. This would enable them to allocate resources more effectively and target specific regional challenges. Councils are stuck in impossible positions – fuelled by decades of underfunding. National investments into local economies would not only help restore public services, they would create jobs and attract further investment into the city. This funding must be directed towards revitalising public spaces and providing long-term support to ensure high streets remain vibrant and functional.

Then the government must commit to eradicating the cost of living crisis, which continues to squeeze household budgets and dampen consumer confidence. This includes not only addressing energy costs but also housing, wages and childcare costs. Investments in public services and infrastructure that lower everyday expenses – such as transport, water and energy –  must also be prioritised, alongside policies to support sustainable economic growth. 

And finally, I’m pleased that the Labour government has already committed to replace the business rates system in England to level the playing field between the high street and online giants, better incentivising investment to tackle empty properties and support entrepreneurship. But we can’t stop there. It’s time for a comprehensive review of how we tax businesses, learning from successful examples around the world to build a system that’s fair, sustainable, and fit for the challenges of a modern economy, supporting small businesses while ensuring large corporations pay their fair share. Our economic system must work for everyone – not just those at the top. 

Saving our high streets and re-imagining our public spaces is no small task, but as we enter the new year, I’d like to see bold action and a real commitment to immediate and long-term government support, so that our public spaces can thrive again.

nadiawhittome.org